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<title>You make everything easier, just being here by RachaelJurassic</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29117049">You make everything easier, just being here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelJurassic/pseuds/RachaelJurassic'>RachaelJurassic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:42:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29117049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelJurassic/pseuds/RachaelJurassic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenny is asleep by the time Rupert gets home. Sometimes talking is easier in the dark.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jenny Calendar/Rupert Giles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You make everything easier, just being here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jenny jerked awake at the sound of the front door closing downstairs. She listened closely as a chair scraped. A stumble, and then footsteps. A creak on one of the stairs, followed by a collision with something. She heard a muffled curse and bit her lip, Rupert swearing in that delightfully cultured accent was always funny. She felt the blankets shift, then the mattress. She stretched her hand behind her, reaching for him.</p><p>“Sorry,” Rupert whispered, wrapping his arms around her.</p><p>“That’s OK.”</p><p>“I was trying to be quiet,” he added.</p><p>“I know.” She couldn’t help smiling.</p><p>He felt cold against her back. Jenny just barely repressed a shiver.</p><p>“Oh, sorry, I’ll…” </p><p>She caught his wrist, keeping him close.</p><p>“It’s all right.”</p><p>He held her tighter, his face buried in her hair, and inhaled deeply.</p><p>Jenny had learned that this could mean a number of things. Sometimes she thought it meant ‘I love you’, sometimes ‘I’m horny’ but more often than not it meant ‘I’m scared/anxious/upset but don’t know how to tell you’.</p><p>“Is everything all right?”</p><p>“Yes, yes, fine.” </p><p>She could tell that something was wrong.</p><p>“Do I have to switch the light on and check?”</p><p>“No, really, I’m fine.”</p><p>“And Buffy?”</p><p>“She’s…she’s all right.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“She caught an involuntary lift on a truck and ended up in the middle of nowhere. By the time I got there the vampires were gone.”</p><p>“Dead?</p><p>“Yes, we just had to go to hospital because…”</p><p>“What?” </p><p>“…she thought she’d broken her ankle. She hadn’t.”</p><p>“Oh…good.”</p><p>“It just took a long time to find her, her directions weren’t the best.”</p><p>Jenny felt him sweep her hair to one side and then soft lips on her neck. She let him take comfort there.</p><p>“Sorry it’s so late,” he murmured against her skin.</p><p>“That’s OK.”</p><p>“I was supposed to be cooking you dinner.”</p><p>“I ordered pizza.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>She wasn’t sure if the slight tone of disappointment was because he had wanted to cook for her or because of her choice to order in.</p><p>“It’s fine Rupert, I know this is going to happen sometimes. At least I had a key.” </p><p>“Still,” he replied, as he kissed along her shoulder, “you shouldn’t have to deal with me standing you up.”</p><p>“You didn’t stand me up.”</p><p>He didn’t reply. He seemed more interested in kissing her shoulder blade now rather than carrying on with the conversation. This was all very pleasant, but Jenny couldn’t help thinking he was avoiding the issue.</p><p>She turned in his arms, enjoying soft lips on her own for a moment, but then she pulled away. </p><p>“You can talk to me, you know.”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“It’s normal that you worry.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“It’s just maybe it would help if you talked, that’s all.”</p><p>“Well,” he replied as he pulled her closer, “I’m not one of those that subscribe to the ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved’ philosophy.” </p><p>He was kissing her neck again. It was easy to get lost in the sensation.</p><p>“In my experience it just spreads the trouble around,” he added.</p><p>“What if I want your trouble?”</p><p>“You really don’t.”</p><p>“Don’t tell me what I want.” Her tone came out a little harsher than she’d intended.</p><p>Rupert stopped kissing her.</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“No…argh, I mean…” How was she supposed to say this? “Rupert, do you think I fell for you because of the tweed, the technophobia, and the 19th century attitude to opening doors for women?”</p><p>“Erm…”</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t that you idiot.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Did you seriously think it was?”</p><p>“I thought it was the rugged good looks.”</p><p>She could hear the smile in his voice.</p><p>“Well, that didn’t hurt but no. It was…it was when I saw how much you cared, OK.” She rushed the sentence out because, despite her admonishing Rupert on his inability to express his emotions, she really wasn’t one to talk either. </p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“So if you think telling me that you were worried tonight that you’d not find her, or you’d not get to her in time, or whatever one of the million scenarios you came up with in your head…if you think that would make me think less of you then you’re a damned idiot.”</p><p>He was very still.</p><p>“Thinking someone is dead in a ditch is such a cliché though.” His voice was barely audible.</p><p>Jenny smiled, it kind of was.</p><p>“I just…I just know one day, I-I-I’m not going to get there in time.”</p><p>Her heart twisted. It was easy to forget the reality of it. Buffy was so strong, so capable. The fact that every night she went out to her potential death was something that was easier not to think about. Rupert didn’t have the luxury of forgetting that.</p><p>“Your job is really kinda shit isn’t it.”</p><p>“Sometimes…but, but it’s also amazing…Buffy’s amazing.”</p><p>“She is.”</p><p>Jenny brought her hand up to stroke his hair. She could tell the adrenalin was keeping him awake despite the late hour and hoped a gentle head massage would help to bring him down a bit. It usually did, and it was a school night; they both needed their sleep.</p><p>He turned his head, kissing her palm. Rupert loved her hands. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips moving lightly from finger to finger, his teeth scraping the ball of her thumb, his tongue on her pulse point. He was making those delicious noises he made when he lost himself in sensation. Despite all this she could feel herself losing the battle to stay awake. </p><p>“Go to sleep,” he whispered.</p><p>“Rupert…” She attempted an objection against the weight of exhaustion washing over her.</p><p>“It’s all right,” he cut in. “You make everything easier, just being here.”</p><p>Jenny felt his mouth on her wrist, feather light kisses, and decided to give up on her battle with sleep.</p><p>She smiled as the world slipped away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to my beta, RdC :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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